The Bloody Crown ||Sanders Sides

9. A Trip Through Memory Lane

Hehehehehehehe-

Why do I love just destroying things?

TW: slight guilt, sadness, descriptions of gore and blood,

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Virgil sat looking it Roman's window, wide awake. He couldn't fall asleep. The thoughts were too loud for him to risk leaving Roman's side.

He knew what would happen that night. He knew. And yet... he let it happen.

Virgil sighed, opening Roman's window and slipping out. He locked it behind him, knowing that his anxiety wouldn't leave him alone until he did.

~

"I still don't get why he left me alive," Janus whispered. "He has no reason to... and yet he did."

"Maybe he doesn't hate you anymore," Patton suggested, though neither of them felt very hopeful.

"I doubt it," Janus said with a sad sigh. "I just have a feeling he wants me to give up on the idea that he'll kill me, and then kill me when I think he's finally going to leave me alone."

"Is there any way to escape that?" Patton asked.

"No... when he says he'll kill you he does it," Janus mumbled.

"What did you do that made him mad?" Patton asked quietly.

"It's... it's a long story," Janus said with a sigh.

"Well, we've got time," Patton said, giving him a soft smile. "If you don't want to share that's fine, I'm just curious."

"No, it's time I told you." Janus took a shaky breath.

"I knew Paranoia three years ago. Ironically I met him when he was out hunting down people on his death list. He was covered in blood, and he scared me. I had heard about his reputation, but to see him... it was terrifying."

"I had always believed that names gave someone control of something, and heard of someone who knew his name. It turns out they did, but he had also heard of them. I got there first, and I found out his name."

"I was wrong though... names don't have any control. At least not over him. Even if someone has his name he won't be controlled. There are rumors that he killed anyone who ever knew his name, so the only person who actually ever knows his name is whoever the king is."

"He killed and gutted the person right in front of me, and then poured the blood over me. He told me to run, so I did. Except he's a lot like a blood hound. When he's on the trail of a target they don't get away. He always finds his targets."

"He tracked me for hours. I think he was just toying with me, because I know he could've caught me within minutes. He's where I got the scars on my face. He cut the left side of my face, letting the blood go everywhere."

"And then he let me go. He told me that I would die some day, but he wasn't going to bother then. That's when I made his top spot on the death list."

"I moved around for awhile, traveling through other countries and through the mountains, but no one trusted me. With the scars on my face they knew I had been through some sort of trouble, and didn't want to deal with it when it came calling again."

"Paranoia also kept finding me, causing trouble. He'd get me thrown out again and again, making me on the run most of the time. I never found anyone who would take me in. That is... until you came along."

"Oh my word, Janus. I'm so sorry," Patton said quietly. "I had no idea."

"Well, it's not like I told you," Janus said with a sigh. "What's done is done. I can never unlearn his name, so I can never be free. I suppose the only thing that got controlled by his name was me, since I'm the one who's been on the run for years."

"You don't have to hide anymore," Patton said. "You're always welcome here."

"Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me," Janus said quietly. "Everyone else turned me away without a second glance, but you've never turned me away once."

"Well, pasts are just that. The past," Patton stated. "I don't think anyone can be judged for their pasts if they didn't have control over it."

"I shouldn't have even tried," Janus said sadly. "Everything in my life had been my fault."

"You didn't know what would happen," Patton said gently. "It's not your fault how he reacted."

"Maybe not, but I still could've stopped it."

"Enough with that," Patton said. "Let's just go to bed. After a night's rest you'll feel better."

772 words.